Revolt Motors has begun production of the RV 400 and the first unit was rolled off its Manesar plant today. The Revolt RV 400 is the company’s first, AI-enabled, electric two-wheeler and has been developed over the course of two years. The RV 400 was unveiled on June 18, 2019 and is all set to be launched in India on August 28, 2019.

The Revolt RV 400 has an ARAI-certified range of 156km and its top speed is limited to 85kph. One of the key features on the RV 400 is its removable battery, which allows one to carry it up to a home or office to charge the battery conveniently. A 15A charger and cable are supplied with the electric motorcycle.

Revolt has also developed a mobile app that enables the owner to track the bike, start the motor remotely, show real-time range, alter the bike’s artificial exhaust note and more.

The company will also have ‘mobile swap stations’ that can be tracked via the phone application, allowing for the owner to swap their drained battery for a fully-charged one.

We are going to ride the Revolt RV 400 soon and will let you know what it’s like in our detailed first ride review.

]]>Staff Writer Staff Writer First Revolt RV 400 rolls off production line at Manesar2461402461401Staff Writer First Revolt RV 400 rolls off production line at Manesar2461402461401Wed, 7 Aug 2019 18:21:00 +1000413745Staff Writer Autocar India staff photograherMon, 1 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +1000Revolt Intellicorp&#8217;s Manesar plant with a 1,20,000-unit capacity rolls out first production-spec RV 400 that will go on sale on August 28, 2019.Revolt Intellicorp&#8217;s Manesar plant with a 1,20,000-unit capacity rolls out first production-spec RV 400 that will go on sale on August 28, 2019.Wed, 7 Aug 2019 18:21:00 +1000https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-news/first-revolt-rv-400-rolls-off-production-line-at-manesar-413745#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=Autocar+India+Other+feed413745Ather 450 priced at Rs 1.31 lakh in Chennai

Ather is set to begin full-fledged operations in Chennai, the second city the EV start-up will be available in after its hometown of Bengaluru. This weekend, the company organised an event for potential customers who expressed interest in the Ather 450. Bookings were originally scheduled to begin only on July 9, however, owing to the interest expressed at the event, online bookings were opened and the first batch has already been filled!

The Ather 450 is priced at Rs 1.31 lakh, on-road in Chennai, with the booking amount set at Rs 5,000. The first batch of deliveries will begin in September, followed by the second batch in between November and December. Post that, deliveries will take place February 2020 onwards. Just like with its scooters in Bengaluru, Ather has also listed a lease programme in Chennai, with rentals starting at Rs 2,517 per month. Though more details on the same are currently unavailable on the company's website, they should be available in the near future.

Ather had earlier revealed an ambitious target of achieving one lakh units by June 2021 and is working on expanding to multiple cities over the next couple of years. Ather began setting up its AtherGrid infrastructure in Chennai a couple months ago with multiple charging points set up across the city.

Far too many pants and jackets sold these days pack cheap and flimsy armour, and some even leave vital spaces like back protector pockets empty altogether. In fact, Indian gear brands deserve a shout-out here because they tend to offer much better armour with their products as standard, compared to high-end European names that expect you to make a separate investment in proper armour.

I was looking for an aftermarket option to fill the hip armour pockets in my Olympia pants and Scott riding denims when I came across these reasonably priced options sold by Outdoor Travel Gear. They’re by an Italian company called Safetechh, but costs are kept low by the usual route of having manufacturing done in China.

When buying armour, I always try to get the higher Level 2 stuff, which can absorb a higher impact – above 9 kiloNewtons of force to be precise. Safetechh achieves this through the use of a material called Viscoflex, which is essentially one of those high-density visco-elastic polymers. This material feels soft to the touch, but rapidly firms up when impacted hard, thereby reducing the impact transmitted to the rider. The beauty with such materials is that they’re multi-use and can be flexed to fit into an armour pocket.

Be sure the armour will fit into the designated pockets in your pants.

You need to look up the dimensions on the website to see if the armour will fit into your gear. While not an exact fit, this armour just about squeezes into the pockets in both my pants. Once in, the armour has a curved profile, which makes it comfortable enough so that it doesn’t get in the way when you’re wearing the pants. In fact, you soon forget that it’s in there at all. I haven’t ridden in frigid, sub-zero temperatures with this armour yet, but the material has been unaffected by all temperature extremes it’s met so far.

At Rs 790, I think the Safe Tec armour is a good deal. But you’ll also find all manner of protection, be it elbow, shoulder, knee or back protection in the same material at similarly reasonable prices on Outdoor Travel Gear’s website. Just make sure the armour will fit in your gear before buying it.

The Pinlock lens is a thin plastic lens with a small silicone gasket that runs around its edge. The lens is meant to fit on the inside of a Pinlock compatible visor ( 72 helmet manufacturers are currently listed on the company’s website) and this helps reduce or eliminate the issue of the visor fogging up in cold weather. The lens installs by slotting into two small posts that are positioned on either side of the visor. These posts have a tiny screw built in that allows you to make minute adjustments to make sure the lens fits snugly.

The Pinlock system works in two ways – the silicone gasket generates a thin pocket of air between the visor and the pinlock, which acts as an insulator and prevents the buildup of fog. Then, the lens itself has a hydrophilic coating that absorbs moisture and further reduces the chances of fog creeping in.
There are three types of lenses – the Pinlock 30, Pinlock 70 and Pinlock 120. These numbers denote how strong the fog-clearing abilities are, and the 70 and 120 models also come as Pinlock ‘Max Vision’ lenses, which basically allow a wider field of view. The 30 model is a standard shape, whereas the 70 and 120 models are custom-fit to different visor designs. My Arai, for example has brow vents built into the visor, so the Arai-specific Pinlock lens gets cut-outs to fit around these vents. You can get a Pinlock lens in clear, smoke or yellow tints, but what I’ve done is buy two clear lenses and install one each in my clear and dark visor.

As for how they work. One word – superb. I didn’t face any fog issues across any riding conditions. Even during a rain-soaked, near-freezing ride through Spiti, there was just a hint of fog build up at the edges, but my line of sight remained clear. If you ride in the cold and your helmet supports it, the Pinlock lens is absolutely worth using.

Zero Motorcycles, the California-based electric motorcycle manufacturer, has released a teaser showing the silhouette of the front end of a bike and a date - 25/2/19. The brand claims the bike will be ‘the first of its kind’ and the ‘future of motorcycling’. Called the SR/F, the new motorcycle is likely to be an addition to the existing naked street line-up – the S and the higher spec SR – in Zero’s portfolio. However, the brand has revealed that it will be based on a completely new platform.

Zero Motorcycles recently announced upgrades for its 2019 line-up in the form of more powerful base models (with a claimed 35 percent increase in horsepower), new tech features, extended range and multiple styling and colour schemes. Zero offers its motorcycles with multiple battery options. The top-spec models come with increased power, torque and range but weigh significantly higher (to the tune of around 50kg) than the smaller battery variants.

The existing Zero SR with the ZF14.4 battery package can be fitted with an additional ‘Power Tank’ battery that expands battery capacity by 3.6kWh; the combined powerplant produces 70hp and 157Nm of torque. It also has the longest range on a production electric motorcycle, with a claimed mileage of 223 miles (about 359km) in the city, and 112 miles (180km) on the highway. We’ll have to wait until the end of February this year to see what new tech the brand will bring with the new bike.

Over time, I’ve grown averse to bulky riding pants that offer little ventilation. The ordeal of staying in them for the better part of the day is less disturbing than the eventuality that bites you – not wearing riding pants at all. I must plead guilty, but, thankfully, it didn’t take me a nasty reminder to just get out there and do my legs a favour. While international websites did spring up appealing options, I just cannot take size charts at face value and so, I tried looking up the website of my favourite Indian gear manufacturer – Rynox.

My outgoing pair – it’s still as good as new, I must say – is the Rynox Advento which has been put through tremendous abuse in my hands (or legs, rather)and it’s a brand I’ve come to trust comfortably. So far, I’ve been through a Rynox luggage, a set of gloves and a jacket which I wear just about every day of the year. And so, having spotted the AirTex pants on its website, I knew I wouldn’t have to look further. And that the listed price was Rs 6,450 definitely tempted me as well. A brief call to my go-to gear retailer, suburban-Mumbai based AH Helmets, revealed all six sizes – from S to 3XL – were in stock, so I wasted no time in getting there and trying them out. The all-black pants are a mix of Cordura and mesh, and look well-finished, if not space-age. The most prominent mesh panel is down the front of the pants, with a smaller patch on the shin area as well as the entire calf region. A horizontal mesh panel extends across the length of your lower back as well. The AirTex features a two-sided leg zipper, so taking your boots off isn’t a tiring affair, and there are two conventional pockets that can accommodate a phone each – although I’ve never liked riding with my pockets full.

More importantly, the AirTex features CE-rated Knox micro-lock armour which provides ample knee and shin protection. Rynox highlights its trademarked KneeSlap mechanism which allows external adjustment of the armour as per one’s knee position, but I find this to be nothing revolutionary because it’s more a good marketing spin than an actual innovation. The standard hip protectors are foam, which is better than nothing, and I particularly like the grip patches sewn on to the rear; they help you stay in the saddle under aggressive weight transfer. Rynox has also been kind enough to equip the AirTex with a riding jacket connector at the back, which is directly compatible with my Air GT jacket.

An internal warm insulation liner comes free of cost with the pants, as does an external waterproof liner with reflective strips, but I haven’t felt the need to use either so far, so I will reserve comment on it for the moment. What I do wish Rynox had included are elastic panels on the waist, which can prove helpful in case you put on a few kilos (something I’ve been doing a lot of late) over the course of ownership. Thankfully, the two-way waist adjusters and two-button closure offers enough flexibility so, for the time being, I should be fine. Nonetheless, these pants have done the one thing my Adventos couldn’t – get me wearing them every time I’m on a motorcycle. Prevention is half the battle won, right? I’d strongly recommend these for someone looking for safety and great everyday usability at a very affordable price tag, and I think I just might get myself another pair I can save for the future!

Global cycling major Hero Cycles, which has recently entered the electric bicycle segment, has signed a strategic alliance with Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and trading and investment enterprise, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. of Japan.

Hero Cycles Ltd. is the flagship company of the Hero Motors Company (HMC) group, and is the world’s largest integrated bicycle manufacturer by volume and manufacturing, with over 19,000 bicycles sold every day. With government initiatives on clean transportation on the rise, the electric bike segment in India is sure to see growth. Yamaha is currently part of the e-bike segment with their PWseries. Hero Cycles will be looking to implement this technology in their products, with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. handling marketing and distribution.

The announcement also comes in the wake of other initiatives recently announced by Hero Cycles, one of which, namely the “Cycle Valley” project that is expected to be set up in Ludhiana, will serve as a hub for end-to-end supply chain of the bicycle industry. The Cycle Valley will be led by Hero Cycles as the anchor investor and will create an ecosystem of suppliers in joint ventures with global bicycle component makers. The first product for India to roll out from this alliance would be a high-end E-MTB, which is the same segment that has seen the fastest growth in Europe during the last year.

“The partnership has been formed with a forward looking plan which includes development of new e-mobility products jointly by Hero and Yamaha, with go-to-market sales, distribution & marketing support by Mitsui & Co., Ltd.”, says Hero Motors Company (HMC) Chairman Pankaj M Munjal.

]]>Staff Writer Staff Writer Hero Cycles and Yamaha to develop e-bikes2461402461401Staff Writer Hero Cycles and Yamaha to develop e-bikes2461402461401Fri, 23 Nov 2018 08:43:00 +1000410539Staff Writer Autocar India staff photograherMon, 1 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +1000This new joint venture will focus on development, manufacturing and marketing of a new range of e-bikes from Hero.This new joint venture will focus on development, manufacturing and marketing of a new range of e-bikes from Hero.Fri, 23 Nov 2018 08:43:00 +1000https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-news/hero-cycles-and-yamaha-to-develop-e-bikes-410539#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=Autocar+India+Other+feed410539Upcoming Suzuki e-scooter to be designed specially for India

India is quite a unique market for Suzuki, because we are among the few markets that get specially designed products based on famous international models, but developed and priced for our particular needs and demands. The Gixxer really set things off in this direction, followed by the Intruder and now the Burgman Street scooter. Now, we are given to understand that the upcoming Suzuki electric scooter that is slated to be launched in 2020 will also get a special, India-centric design.

In conversation with Suzuki India MD Satoshi Uchida, we learned quite a few things about this model. For starters, this scooter will indeed use a global technology platform. Interestingly, Suzuki hasn’t done much with regards to electric mobility so far, but it has been selling the small e-Lets EV in Japan for some years now. However, the e-Lets has a small range of just 30km on a charge and it’s unlikely that this EV is an indicator of what to expect.

We asked what kind of performance this e-scooter would have and Uchida revealed that they are looking at something between 110 and 125cc levels of performance. He stressed that this is Suzuki’s first EV product and it will be vital to test the waters and gauge customer response. If, for example, customers find that they don’t need so much performance, he states that the company could scale it back to 110cc levels of performance in subsequent updates or in the second generation model.

Nevertheless, the core module of battery and motor will be common across global platforms and Suzuki will be focusing on lithium-ion battery tech. This is in line with the fact that the Suzuki group is investing big in an upcoming Li-Ion battery plant in Gujarat. Where the India connection will come in for the scooter is in terms of design. Uchida believes that the exterior design should be customised for Indian requirements and this will be done by the Suzuki India team, as was the case with the likes of the Intruder and Burgman Street.

The big challenge for Suzuki at the moment is pricing. The company finds that its customers are willing to pay a maximum of 20 percent in addition to a similarly powerful combustion-engined scooter. This is the target that Suzuki is giving itself, so even though it’s very early in the day, a price tag of well under Rs 1 lakh is reasonable to expect. Suzuki has also approached the government for support with regards to this in the form of EV incentives.

2018 continues to be the year of new policies in the Indian two-wheeler industry. Earlier this year, the government announced that CKD prices will be increased by five per cent; and soon after sent out a statement that custom duties on CBU motorcycles above 800cc have been dropped by up to 25 per cent.

Now the government has announced that sale of non-ISI certified helmets in India will be an offence by the end of this year. This means that it’s mandatory for helmet manufacturers to obtain certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to ensure that the helmets adhere to ISI standards. The government pushing for sales of ISI-marked helmets is a good move, as most bikers don’t value the importance of wearing graded (and expensive) helmets; and normally opt for cheap roadside helmets that retail for less than Rs 300!

Commenting on this new development, Rajeev Kapur, President, ISI Helmet Manufacturers Association, said, “We are proud of our policy makers, as this was much needed. Looking at the current statistics, over 75-80 per cent of helmets used by two-wheeler riders across India do not meet ISI standards. The market is flooded with sub-standard products that compromise on safety despite a fourth of all road deaths involve two-wheeler occupants."

According to a WHO (World Health Organisation) survey, there’s a 40 per cent higher possibility of the fatal head injurires in a crash while not wearing a helmet. In fact, over 10,000 Indians died in 2016 owing to head injuries sustained in a crash. While the move by the government to ban the sale of non-ISI helmets is a good one, there isn’t clarity on the sale of premium imported helmets sold in the country. These helmets comply with high test standards, including the likes of ECE, SNELL and SHARP, which are at par with or higher than the Indian ISI standards. Thus, it's only fair that the government recognise this and allow the sale of such helmets, rather than punish those who wish to give themselves more protection than the law requires.

Imported helmets which are ECE, SNELL and SHARP-certified are generally much better in terms of quality, safety and protection, in comparison to the typical ISI-certified helmets. They are thereby, much more expensive. While the masses still prefer to buy helmets under Rs 1,000, there are a small, but growing number of bikers who have started understanding the importance of paying more for a higher level of protection. We hope that the government understands the benefits of these imported helmets and allows them to be sold alongside ISI-certified ones in India.

Fortunately, there's still some time before the rule comes into force, and we will be actively covering any developments that may occur along the way. What’s your take? Please share your opinion in the comments section.

]]>Arun Nadar Arun Nadar Government plans to ban sale of non-ISI helmets2461402461401Mon, 12 Mar 2018 10:43:00 +1000407708Arun Nadar Autocar India staff photograherMon, 1 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +1000The new policy states only ISI-certified helmets are to be sold in India. However, there is still some confusion regarding the sale of imported helmets.The new policy states only ISI-certified helmets are to be sold in India. However, there is still some confusion regarding the sale of imported helmets.Mon, 12 Mar 2018 10:43:00 +1000https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-news/government-plans-to-ban-sale-of-non-isi-helmets-407708#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=Autocar+India+Other+feed407708Living with an e-Scooter

I was pushing the Okinawa Ridge up a flyover on the very first day I got it. I’ll be honest: I was mighty annoyed. A bunch of scooter riders stopped to ask me if I had run out of fuel; “I wish,” I mumbled to myself.

Two days later, the agony of that first experience had all but vanished. You see, the Ridge came to me with just one bar worth of charge, and that remnant juice wasn’t enough to pull the scooter and its rider up an incline. Once I had a full charge though, things were very different.

But let’s start from the basics. The Ridge is a typical electric scooter – batteries under the seat and an electric motor housed in the rear wheel hub. Charging is through a regular three-pin AC socket. Unfortunately, the battery isn’t a removable unit like in some smaller e-scooters, so one needs a socket in the parking area, or an extension cord to wherever the scooter is parked. Okinawa claims a full charge can be achieved in 4-6 hours, though in my experience, you aren’t looking at anything less than seven hours.

While the whole charging shebang might be novel for you, the actual riding experience won’t, which is the great thing about the Ridge. Most other e-scooters feel awkward to ride, especially in terms of ergonomics, but the Ridge is almost natural. It’s the same size as most petrol-powered scooters, adequately comfortable and decently peppy for city riding. It’ll carry two people easily (unless you’re on one bar of charge) and cruise at a heady 55kph with the throttle fully rolled open.

Cruising at 55, however, comes at a cost – charge. Okinawa claims a lofty range of 80-90km for the Ridge, but keep it in Sport mode (needed to touch 55kph) and the battery runs out in around 50km. In Eco mode (speed limited to 35kph with dulled throttle responses), though, you can get nearly 70km out. Fair warning, the charge indicator isn’t particularly accurate; it was not uncommon for the number of bars to fluctuate between one and three at their own whim.

There are a handful of other issues with the Ridge. The front and rear drum brakes are woefully ineffective and the silence of the electric operation is countered by the rattling noises from loose plastic panels. Furthermore, the Ridge didn’t have a trip meter that would allow me to easily know the distance covered since full charge. Storage space is sparse; the tiny underseat storage wouldn’t take a full-face helmet, and squeezing in a half-face one would also be tricky on account of having to stash the charger there too. And finally, there’s the ergonomics of the switchgear; my fingers wouldn’t reach the turn signal switches or the horn unless
I took my hand off the grips.

But these problems are mere inconveniences. Living with the Ridge is actually quite pleasant. I have to travel a relatively short distance to work – a 6km round trip – which meant that a full charge lasted me a week’s worth of office commutes. Ownership costs are laudably low, as due to the relatively fewer number of moving parts, maintenance is inexpensive. Okinawa offers three free services, after which paid services are recommended at 2,000km intervals. The battery has a limited lifespan – two years as per Okinawa’s claim – though the actual life is determined by the number of charge cycles and usage patterns. Replacement costs around Rs 10,000, which isn’t too bad when you consider the running costs. A full charge consumes about three units of electricity, which costs a negligible amount, depending on the structure of your electricity bill.

The Okinawa Ridge is a fairly amicable e-scooter to live with, but that statement comes with some caveats: your everyday mileage needs to be low and you need to have a convenient place to park and charge your scooter (constantly ‘borrowing’ power from your neighbourhood grocery store, like I did, isn’t a sustainable solution). If you can work around this, the Ridge is a realistic alternative to a standard petrol-powered scooter.

]]>Siddhant Ghalla Siddhant Ghalla Living with an e-ScooterFeels quite like a normal scooter to ride.2461402461401Siddhant Ghalla Living with an e-ScooterSwitches are hard to reach.2461402461401Siddhant Ghalla Living with an e-Scooter2461402461401Siddhant Ghalla Living with an e-ScooterCharging socket is on the outside under the seat hinge.2461402461401Siddhant Ghalla Living with an e-ScooterCharger eats into stowage space.2461402461401Siddhant Ghalla Living with an e-ScooterYou’ve got to keep a close tab on the charge!2461402461401Siddhant Ghalla Living with an e-Scooter2461402461401Sun, 7 Jan 2018 07:00:00 +1000406953Siddhant Ghalla Autocar India staff photograherMon, 1 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +1000Siddhant Ghalla spends a couple of weeks with the Okinawa Ridge e-scooter to confront his range anxiety head on. Siddhant Ghalla spends a couple of weeks with the Okinawa Ridge e-scooter to confront his range anxiety head on. Sun, 7 Jan 2018 07:00:00 +1000https://www.autocarindia.com/auto-features/living-with-an-e-scooter-406953#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=Autocar+India+Other+feed406953